Europe, Africa and Middle East Are Keys to GA Recovery

This week’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva appears to be showing the way toward worldwide economic recovery for general aviation. Trade shows such as EBACE and the annual National Business Aviation Association show in the U.S. are not always accurate economic indicators, but the past two years have shown significant evidence of a hunker-down mentality among marketing teams for key bizav players. That dynamic has a trickle-down effect — from the big players on down the economic food chain — that pervades much of the rest of general aviation. So optimism at this year’s EBACE show would appear to bode well for the future. According to a survey by Honeywell released at EBACE, things are looking up. Close to 60 percent of operators polled reported they plan to buy a new aircraft — a new high for the annual Honeywell survey. More than a third of those planning to buy airplanes are based in Europe, Africa or the Middle East, according to Honeywell data. Notwithstanding a stock meltdown on Tuesday over the economic crisis in Greece, recent upward trends in worldwide markets would tend to support predictions of better days to come.